When starting an exercise and diet regimen, most people only focus on what they want to happen with the scale. While monitoring your weight is essential to tracking your progress, there are other ways to track your progress as well. More often than not at some point in your journey the scale will stop cooperating. You can choose to be frustrated and think that all of your efforts are no longer working or you can focus on all the other positive changes you’ve noticed – the non-scale victories.
When I’m strictly adhering to my meal plan and exercise routine, sometimes the scale does stop moving. The scale could stop moving or even start creeping up for several reasons beyond my control such as water retention or hormone fluctuation. I’m a big believer in celebrating all of my non-scale victories. I think I celebrate my non-scale victories more than my actual scale victories.
5 Non-Scale Victories You Should Be Celebrating:
1. Your Measurements & Body Composition
When your body fat percentage starts to drop and your waist starts to shrink, it is definitely time to celebrate. One of the ways I really like to measure my body composition is progress pictures. I know that taking the dreaded before picture can be hard but it will be worth it when you compare it where you currently are.
2. Compliments from Others
If you are constantly getting compliments from other people about how great you look, you better be celebrating. When I first began exercising more intensely and eating better I would constantly get compliments from people, even though the scale had not moved at all. While it doesn’t always matter what other people think or have to say, I think everyone can admit that they like getting compliments.
3. The Way Your Clothes Fit
If you have been trying to fit back into your “skinny pants” and are finally able too, it’s time to celebrate. I honestly think there is no better feeling than being able to put on your clothes and feel good and look good while wearing them. Celebrating the way your clothes fit can be such a self esteem booster. I know that anytime I start to fit into something or drop down a size, I always notice my self esteem start to rise.
4. Your Performance
My favorite non-scale victories have to do with performance. The main focus of my training and meal plan is centered around performing well. For example, I get much more excited over being able to do a set of 20 pushups vs. being a certain weight. If you’ve been trying to accomplish something in the gym like deadlift your body weight or outside of the gym like being able to climb stairs without getting winded, its important to celebrate when you succeed at them.
5. The Way You Feel
If you’ve been eating really healthy and exercising regularly, my guess is that you’re probably starting to feel really good. Celebrating that your sleeping better, feeling better, moving better and having more energy is just as important as celebrating hitting a certain weight on the scale.
The next time you’re feeling frustrated with the scale, pause, take a minute and think about all the non-scale victories you’ve accomplished. What’s the best non-scale victory you’ve accomplished? Comment below and tell us all about it!
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